Time is defined as “the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues. Time is measured in terms of events which succeed one another from the past through the present to the future.” Ultimately, time goes on and is the duration from which all things happen.
As I go back in time over six months ago, I was a substitute teacher getting up at 5:30 am preparing for the day as a reading intervention specialist. My day was consumed with blocks of time dedicated to helping young students learn to read and to enhance their reading comprehension. I was constantly looking at my watch to determine when I needed to finish up with one group of students and prepare for the next group. Time was essential, I needed to be on time to pick up students for their reading intervention. If I was too early, I had to wait, (wasting time), if I was late in returning the students to their class, they would have to catch up with their workload. Time marches on, it doesn’t wait for you, you have to keep up with it!
“God will bring judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed.”
Ecclesiastes 3:17
I recently took the time off challenge. I put my watch aside and didn’t care what time it was. I turned off the morning alarm and waited for the sun to shine through the window, alerting me that a new day had begun. There were moments that I would look down at my wrist checking the time only to discover that I wasn’t wearing a watch. Time didn’t have the same control over my life as it did before. Perhaps you can challenge yourself today and take off your watch or refrain from looking at whatever device you use to tell time and live in the moment.
Don’t allow time to confine your existence for no matter how hard you try, you can’t control the clock. Seconds move quickly, minutes pass by and hours can seem as if they last forever, and yet mornings turn into afternoons, days turn into weeks, and before you know it, years have passed you by. And yet, in the end, time rules all….
The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for everything.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die, A time to plant and a time to uproot, A time to kill and a time to heal, A time to tear down and a time to build, A time to weep and a time to laugh, A time to mourn and a time to dance, A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, A time to embrace and a time to refrain, A time to search and a time to give up, A time to keep and a time to throw away, A time to tear and a time to mend, A time to be silent and a time to speak, A time to love and a time to hate, A time for war and a time for peace…. He had made everything beautiful in its time.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
So often we find ourselves planning for our days, the week ahead, and even months in advance, and yet just as we make plans, our lives change, time presses on but events and circumstances are out of our control.
James, asks us to ponder the question, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life?” He further states this very sober obvious state of our lives, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:13-14) Therefore let us spend our time here on this earth wisely and with great discernment. Let time be your guide, not your burden.
Use your time wisely, making the most of every opportunity. (Ephesians 5: 15-17) Our time on earth may be limited but our time in eternity is infinite. We need to keep in mind though, that the way we use our time on earth will ultimately decide our time in eternity. We say then with full confidence, “I trust in you, O Lord; You are my God. My times are in your hands….” (Psalm 31:14-15)
Allow God to guide you in using your time with purpose, conviction, and confidence that there is a season for everything and His time is just right.
Recently I was talking with our six-year-old granddaughter about prayer. I shared with her that God’s always available to hear our prayers no matter what time of day we need to talk with Him. She told me that she was having trouble sleeping at night and I suggested that when she finds herself unable to sleep that she could talk to God. He’s always ready to hear our prayers, he never sleeps.
“I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you-”
Psalm 121:1-5
After I shared with her that God is always ready to listen to our prayers, even in the middle of the night. She very thoughtfully looked at me and said, “Grandma, I bet He is tired in the morning, you know, from staying up all night, listening to my prayers.” I had to laugh. I sometimes wonder if God does get tired from listening to all the prayers from around the world, and yet just look around you and you can see how awesome God is. He created the heavens and earth!
God’s Always Available – 24/7 Prayer
You know the best thing about prayer is that it’s just talking to God, having a conversation where you pour your heart and soul out and there is no judgment, just a listening ear. He is always available, no appointment or reservation needed!
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
Our prayers don’t have to be some legalistic regiment of words, no God just wants you to talk to Him just like you would your best friend. He knows our thoughts and our heart’s desires, He just wants us to verbally communicate them with Him.
Recently I found myself praying about a particular situation, asking God for guidance and then resolving to be at peace whatever the outcome. No sooner than I had finished my prayers, the answer was given and the situation was resolved quickly. Sometimes prayers work in an instance, and other times my prayers seem to go unresolved and I become discouraged. When that happens, I must remind myself that God is in control, He is God and I am not! There is peace in knowing that if you trust in God, He will provide, sometimes you just have to be patient, knowing that He will not fail you.
“God’s covenant with us is not going to fail. His Word is flawless, right, true. His promises can be fully trusted, no matter what our circumstances may be.”
2 Timothy 2:13
For more resources or to download inspirational pages go to the resource page.
This poem is found in the Words with Wings, A Treasury of African-American Poetry and Art. It’s a beautifully illustrated book filled with poems selected by Belinda Rochelle. She writes, “Each poem and work of art was selected because it inspires our own creative energy. Each was chosen to give wings to your creativity.”
I love the title of this book, Words with WIngs, it creates such a beautiful picture of words flying off the page and flowing out into the universe. Words have power, “Black lives matter.!” Words take on new meanings “gender equality.” Words display emotions, “No justice, no peace!” Through poetry, words express feelings, ideas, and a thoughtful consciousness that can evoke change.
The words of this particular poem seem to describe how many of us view our own little world. We keep things close to us, never wanting to branch out too far and yet when the time is just right, we realize that there is this whole, great big world out there just waiting to be discovered.
Perhaps you may be finding yourself in this place of exploration, where you are just about ready to take flight. Don’t let the winds of change stop you from reaching your highest goals. Change happens, and sometimes we just have to flow with the winds and see where we land.
And yet, sometimes it takes a great deal of courage to break free from the strongholds that want to keep us from moving forward and spread your wings and take off.
Be on Guard and Stand Firm in Faith
The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith, be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” We are told to be on our guard, be watchful. Why do you think we are told to be on our “guard?” Perhaps it is because if we let down our guard, we can fall into an unhealthy pattern of behavior. We become weak and insecure. Our faith wavers and those strongholds of discouragement take hold and will not let go.
It takes an amazing amount of courage to take that leap of faith, soar off into the unknown and fly with ease. Knowing that God is with you, He gives you strength and courage to do the hard things that you never thought possible.
“I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
Where do you find yourself today, held up in the corners of your world, or ready to spread your wings and soar? Wherever you are, know that you are not alone, the God of all creation is waiting for you. Step out, no turning back, be at peace, and along the journey remember whatever you do, do it with love, and spread your wings.
If you are looking for more inspiration take a look at the other free resources available.
Let’s take a moment to understand what the word “equality” means. Equality is defined as “the state of being equal, especially in status, rights and opportunities.” This definition is further extended by stating that equality refers to all people who are treated fairly and are given the same opportunities. Equality, diversity and justice are the guiding principles of a society that recognizes that everyone has a right to parity.
Romans 2:11 states, “For God does not show favoritism.” In God’s eyes we are all equal. Perhaps that is what we all strive for, to be equal and not judged as anything less. When I was young, I learned a sweet song about love and equality in Sunday School, it went like this, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red, brown, yellow, black and white there are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.” There are no caveats on Jesus’ love for others, and we shouldn’t have any either. We are commanded to love one another, there are no exceptions to this and yet we seem to want to put our own limitations on our love for others. This is where we hunger for equality as believers in Jesus Christ. We must love all God’s people, we may not always agree with everyone, but we are called to love. (John 13: 34-35)
Galatians 3:28 gives us another glimpse into how God sees us, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” The beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that everyone is worthy, everyone is important and everyone is equal, there is no discrimination. That is what we hunger for the most. We want to be seen as an equal. My race, my skin color, my sexual orientation, my social status, my physical limitations, etc., those traits, characteristics or any other defining elements should not be a factor in equality. We hunger for equal acceptance.
Again in Acts 10:34 it is said that, “… I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism…” This is an important theme throughout the New Testament, God does not show favoritism, …”but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” (Acts 10:35). We are all equal in his eyes, if we choose to do what is right and true. So what is the right thing to do, James clearly states what we are to do, “…Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing right.” He goes on to say that, “…if you show favoritism, you sin, and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.” Our goal then is to show love and mercy, “Mercy triumphs over judgement!” (James 2: 8-13) In the end, we are all equal in the eyes of God, He created it that way from the very beginning of time.
“I tried to teach my child with books, He only gave me puzzled looks I tried to teach my child with words, They passed him by often unheard Despairingly I turned aside, “How shall I teach this child?” I cried Into my hand he placed the key, “Come” he said, “And play with me.” Anonymous
Perhaps the poem above best describes the last few months for many parents who were dealing with “homeschooling” their child. The “puzzled looks”, the “unheard” words, all made for long days of frustration and exhaustion and yet sometimes the best way for a parent to “teach” their child through playing.
As the weather turns warmer and summer returns, spend some time playing outside with your child. Play, such a simple and inexpensive thing to do with your child but one that reaps many rewards.
The word play is defined as engaging in an activity for enjoyment and recreation. Play is any activity that is done by a child for the pure joy of it and having fun!
When was the last time you actually had fun playing with your child? This does not include playing a video game or playing some sort of game on an electronic device. No this means going outside or staying inside if necessary, and creating a game just for the fun of it. Playing hide and go seek, or making a tent out of blankets, building with blocks or Legos. Any activity that brings you and your child joy just for the pure enjoyment of it can be such a special bonding time.
Play teaches your child many important life lessons
Play teaches your child many important life lessons, for instance when you play a game, you have to take turns, be cooperative, and sometimes playing requires strategies. There are other times when play is simply just having fun, like sliding down the slide, building a sandcastle in the sandbox or swinging on the playground. (As our current conditions allow, be safe at the playgrounds).
One of our children’s favorite activities to do in the summer was to play badminton. We would set up our net in the backyard. Then with racquets in hand, we would start out seeing how many times we could keep the birdie going back and forth across the net. Then as the birdie got higher and higher up in the sky it became a battle of the arms to see who could hit the birdie the highest. Next, the laughter would begin as we struggled to even see the birdie, much less hit it over the net. Just having fun and hearing your child laugh, that’s what makes spending time with your child so fantastic.
Depending on how competitive a person you are, play can be a little tricky, but when you play with your children, there are always winners. It is a win/win situation. Parents win by spending time with their children and children win by spending time with their parents.
There is a lyric to a children’s song that says, “Let the children be children, it’s ok to be a kid for awhile, let the children be children, please make it last.” It really is ok to be a child for a while, as we all know children grow up way too quickly, savor each precious moment.
Jesus even commands us to become like children in order to enter into the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16-17 says, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Try to remember what it was like to have no worries about bills, stress at work, house payments, car insurance, etc. and just be at peace with the world and have fun, go out and play. Throw a Frisbee, play croquet, toss a football, kick a soccer ball, jump rope, skip around the block, do something fun that will make you and your child laugh. It will be such a blessing to you and your family. A joyful heart really is good medicine!
